'It's the politics of the personal': Behind the latest US-Iran negotiations

Earlier this week, it looked as though tit-for-tat strikes between Israel and Iran had jeopardised a two-month ceasefire. The new hostilities threatened to once again place the Middle East on the precipice of a full-blown regional war. And then Donald Trump stepped into the fray. Today Middle Eas…

The underbelly construction crackdown: Why was Mick Gatto really arrested?

When one of Australia’s most infamous Victorian gangland figures was arrested last week over an alleged traffic infringement, it raised some eyebrows. So given Mick Gatto’s centrality in the building industry, was this the Victorian police pulling at straws in some last ditch attempt to crack down…

The big baby bust: What happened to Australia’s middle child?

The fertility rate in Australia is at a record low, and there is judgment all around. Today, senior journalist Matt Wade and reporter Bronte Gossling on what our exclusive polling tells us about the global population plunge we’re all inching towards; what challenges it will throw at us; and why th…

A week of reality checks: ‘Pauline for PM’ and the true state of the AUKUS pact

This week polls showed, for the first time, One Nation ahead of the major parties and Pauline Hanson as preferred prime minister in second place ahead of Angus Taylor.  Today we're talking about her strategy, her chances in the lower house and any parallels with the United States. Is it time to ta…

Don’t say it’s a protest vote’: Pauline Hanson on One Nation’s resurgence

The debate on the rise of Pauline Hanson is shifting rapidly. This week, for the first time, polls are showing One Nation's primary vote has risen above the Labor Party's. A conversation that focused on One Nation and the Coalition swapping preferences has now shifted to more profound questions a…

Trump and Putin are showing the world what dumb power can do

We know that Donald Trump has long chased after Vladimir Putin’s approval. Remember the time Trump tweeted: “Do you think Putin will be going to the Miss Universe Pageant in November in Moscow – if so, will he become my new best friend”? That was 13 years ago. But now the American president is Put…

A player suspended, a Pride match bumped: Is the AFL doing more harm than good?

This weekend, there was supposed to be a special game played between the Sydney Swans and St Kilda. It was the teams' annual Pride match, in which the players would wear rainbow jerseys and celebrate diversity, the aim being to boost inclusivity for LGBTQ fans. But for the first time in a decade, …

Tony Abbott is back, but what does it mean for the Liberal Party?

Tony Abbott is one of our most divisive former prime ministers. Lauded in conservative political circles, and mocked outside of them. And now, after he was knifed by his own party as a first-term prime minister, and then lost his political seat, Abbott is back. Today chief political commentator J…

A ‘mega ship’ will deliver 30,000 EVs from China. Just how safe is your data?

Roughly 5,000 new electric vehicles are due to land this week from China. This is just the first part of a shipment expected from the Chinese car manufacturing behemoth, BYD. The company is due to ship another 25,000 EVs here this year. Australians are embracing electric vehicles more than ever be…

CGT shemozzle, risk thrown around like 'fairy dust' and...a Teal party?

We are officially in week two of budget backlash, and both sides seem pretty dug in. Today we’re talking about the disagreements about the capital gains tax - the most controversial part of the budget - and if, as some critics said, it will kill business aspirations. The other news that sparked o…